Starting device for internal-combustion engines.



A fh vHIGIiWBOHAM. lSMH'NG DEVICE FOR INTERNAL CGMBUSTIONY ENGINES.

MPLncA'imN man MM2. |914.

LQSLTML Patented July 3, 1917..

lvenov l .40 mjmproved starting device 'applied thereto.

Unirnn ysirenes PATENT oFFicE.

ARTHUR 0. HIGINBOTHM, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TU CHARLESB.

F'os'rnn 4Am) eoMrANY, or sIsTING on CHARLES n.

`WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A COPARTNERSHIP CON- FOSTER, .ARTI'IUR..HIGINBOTHAM, ANI! JEROME B.

(menen, ALL or wononsrnn, MASSACHUSETTS,

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTEBNAi-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

devices for internal combustion engines util izing compressed airforiinparting movemen'tto the pistons of such engines'until theexplosions begin to take 'place-Within the cylinders, and its object isto 'increase the eciency of suclrsterting dev1ces',` and to render the'starting of thegenginecertain under any and all conditions.

yln the application oi' compressed air starting devices to one, two andfour cylinder engines, itis well know-n that when thepiston or pistonsof the engine are at the limits of their reciprocations, vrn other wordson ,deadfcenter?, the admission oi pressure y.medium to the cylindersimparts no Inove- Inentj to the pistons,

and that therefore 11nder .such conditions all compressed air startersfail tofoperate. `The present invention aims to overcome this difficultybyprov-iding. in` conjunction with such a starter, and op# erati'velyAconnected thereto, means for imn parting a slight initial rotation tothe engine shaft'in order to carr. the-piston or pistons offofidead-center, an. I have illustrated one embodiment thereof 'intheaccompanying "drawings, in whichi y l Figure 1 is a'diagrammaticrepresentation of an internal combustion engine, havlng ig.:2 is 'asection on line 2- 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a face View of a clutch mechanism forming a. portion of my`starting apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 1&4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 isa fragmentary viewV of a modified Specification o LettersPatent.

Application filed May 2, 19144. Serial No. 835,846.

PatentedV July 3, 191.7.

form ofcontrol leverfor operating the startlug device shown 1n -F 1g. 1.

Like reference Ycharacters refer to similar parts in the dierentfigures.

For the purposes of illustration I. have shown diagrauunatically a fourcylinder engine 1, of the type ordinarily used on motorvehicles,` with acompressed air starting mechanism of any ordinary type lapplied thereto,said starting mechanism embodying a distributer 2, adapted to besupplied with air under pressure from a'supp'jliy` tank 3, and havingpipes 4 leading therefrom to each'cylinder oi the engine, in the mannercommon to compressed 4air starters non7 in use. A. suitable valve 5,provided in the pipe connecting the tank 3 and the distrib-Y uter 2,controls the flow of compressed air -to the distributor, said valvehaving a stem 6 projecting outwardly from itscasin In the presentinstance lhave disclosed t e engine l disposed.l below the operatorsseat of a motor truck; a foot Lever 8, in convenient reach oi theoperator, projects 'upwardly through the floor below the operators seat,and is pivoted at its lower end to a fixed point on the framework of theVehicle. A

spring 7 yieldingly holds said lever 8 in theposition shown 1n Fig. 1.Abell crank lever 9, pivoted to theframework, has -one arm pivotallyconnected to a link 10 pivoted to the foot lever 8, while its'fother armex tends below and engages the stem 6 of the lcontrol valve 5. Vhen thelever 8 is pressed- The crank shaft 1l of theV engine hasY keyedthereto, on'its `iorvvard end, a sleeve l2. 'Said sleeve l2' hassecuredthereto, and

' preferably formed integral therewith, a cylindrical rim 13. lu theembodiment of my invention shoe-'n.111 the drawings, the sleeve any ofthe ordinary' 12 is extended forwardly as shown at 14, forming ocontinuation of the crank shaft `1- in order to provide for theapplication of a s ting crank, if desired. It will be understood,however, that in some cases the crank shaft 11 may extend forwardlysuiciently to project beyond the sleeve 12, in which case the extension141 of the sleeve is unnecessary. Journaled on the sleeve 12 is asecondsleeve `15, which is provided with a number of radial arms ,16, in thepresentinstance four, lying within the annular s ace between the :sleeve12 and its rim 13. lsach arm 16' is bored longitudinally to receive nstem 17 projecting from the under side of a segmental bearing shoe 18.Each sleeve 1'8 is maintained in contact with the inner periphery of therim 13 by spiral spring 19, encircling' the corresponding arm 1G andbearing against the under side of the shoe and the sleeve 15, at itsends. The above described arrangement of parts constitutes a frictionalclutching mechanism between the sleeve 12 and the sleeve 15.'

The outer end of the sleeve is reduced in diameter to form a. shoulder20 and has journaled thereon'an arm .21, held against Said shoulder 20by a. nut 22, carried onvthe extreme end of the sleeve.- The portion ofthe .arm 21 which enen-'cles sleeve 15 has an enteinsionf which providesan interior recess 23, interrupting the continuity of thebearing'surface betweenA the sleeve and the arm.

the ball 24 to be A ball or roller 24 is disposed within said recess,and lies in contact' with the cylin- -drical surface of sleeve 15. Therecess is enlarged at the upper end, vso that when the shaft'llrotatesin-the direction of the anrow- A, Fig. 4, the rotation of sleeve1,5 in the same direction'1| through 'the medium of the frictionalclutching mechanism, causes maintained in the enlarged upper portion offtheA recess, whereby an operativeA connection between and the arm 21 isrevented.

The outer end vo arm 21V is pivotall)`7 connec-ted' to a substantiallyvertical link 25. The other end of said link 25 vis pivotally connectedto one arm of a. bell crank 28, 'pivoted to the framework, thev otherarm of said bell crank being pivotally connected to alink 29. The otherend of lilik 29 has an elongated slot 30 which engages'a pin 3l on thefoot lever. 8.

In the operation of the starting mechanism, the depression of the footlever @admits cornpresserl air to the roper cylinder of the emgine asabove described. lf, however, the en)A gine happens to be ondead-center, or for any other reason fails to turn over under the,influence of the pressure medium thus admitte-il.I tin` fursi'ferdepression of the foot lever, whereby? the pin 31 engages the forwardend of slot 80 and imparts' a rockin motion to bell crank 28, causes s.movement of the end of arm 21, as shown by the arrow BFig. 4: The ball24 is thereby squeezed between the wall of the recess 23 and the sleeve.15, causing the movement of the arm 21 toimpart a slight rotativemovement to the sleeve 15 and through the medium of the frictionalclutchmg initial rotation is sufficient to carry the pistons ofdead-center and permits thecolnpressed air to .operate in the usual way,to carry the engine throlgh a sufficient num'- ber of revolutions to eect its starting. l

' The springs 19 which hold the shoes 18 in frictional contact with theinner periphery of rim 13 exert a. comparatively light pressure onsaidshoes. Such a, pressure prof duces suiicient friction to transmit to theshaft 11 the comparatively light forcel reqgiredto give it its initialmovement, as a ove described; but upon the occurrence of any strong orsudden force, such as would be occasione by s. back-kick of the engine,the shoes 18 slip within the rim 13 and hence there is no transmission'of such a. force to the arm 21 and its connected mechanism. Theslightforce which might be transmitted to the arm 2l under` such circumstancesis prevented from reaching the foot lever 48 -by a stop `plete 27,mounted onv the framework against which the u right arm of bell crank 28is adapted to stri e, when it-reaches the limit 'of its return movement.

4In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a. slightly modified form of constructionin which the pin: and slot connection of the link 29 to the foot lever 8is replaced by an ordinary pivotal connection 35. In the operation of,the starting means so constructed, the initial mechanica movement ofthe engine shaft throughthe agency of the clutch mechanism occurssimultaneously with the admission of the pressure medium'to thecylinders, whereby at Aeach operation of the starting device a slightmovement of the shaft is insured. to assistthe" force of the air inovercoming anyI tendency of the pistons to carry them oil. ofdead-centerhappen to be in such position.

`claim,

should they I 1. The combination with` an internal combustion enginehaving a starting device, ofa movable memberfor inauguratlng the actionof said starting device, and means comprising a friction clutch havingan operiftive connec` tion with said member, for transmittin themovement of said member .tothe sha t ,of said' engine. i y

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a starting;device, of a movable member for operating said startdownwar l stick, orto mechanism, to the shaft 11. Such an ing device and means, brou t intooperation b the movement of sogg member beyond t e position foroperating the starting device, for imparting independent rotation 5 tothe shaft of said engine. v

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a startingdevice, of-

a movable member for operating said start- -ing device, e second memberhaving fric- 10 .tional engagement with thevcrank shaft of said engine,and a 'clutching means between said members rendered operative bymovement of said first member." to operate said starting device.

Dated this 25th day of April 1914.

ARTHUR O. HIGINBOTHAM.

Witnesses PENELOPE COMBERBACH, Num WHALEN.

